Epp 21

Getting home from 'playing dumb' for Catherine, Cameron petted Max when he greeted her at the door and checked the time. There was enough time to clean the living room, dinning room and library before she got dinner started.

"You're not arrested yet? I take it no one is coming for me?" Sarah asked as she saw Cameron come in.

"No. Catherine Weaver has successfully misdirected the officer involved, and has moved forward with her cyborg, human interaction plan," Cameron explained.

"Her what?"

Cameron opened the closet in the corner of the dinning room and got the duster out. "Catherine has successfully talked the LA Police Department into taking on the experiment of having a police assistant. Not to act as an officer, but to back officers up and help with investigations," she explained.

"OH great!" Sarah said with a snort. "Does anyone care that John and I are still wanted by just about EVERY law enforcement agency?"

"That is no longer the case," Cameron told her. "With Elanore being a police assistant, she can hunt down and remove leftover files that are not accessible on line." Shifting topics, Cameron asked, "Have you gotten a date for your surgery yet?"

Sarah nodded. "July 23rd. After three weeks of recovery I start chemo." Looking down at herself she said in a vacant tone, "I won't look the same any more."

"You will be alive," Cameron said.

Sarah cast her a weak smile and said, "I should thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome."

"I suppose you're not that bad for a daughter-in-law," Sarah mused.

Cameron grew a smirk and said, "And you are not that bad for a mother-in-law."

It wasn't a hug-fest, but it was acceptance.

.

" ...suspects are on board Mr. Greensburg's yacht, they have two known hostages, possibly more." the radio announced.

"Unit D8 acknowledge, ETA four minutes," Elanore replied as Carlos raced through traffic, his roof light on, siren wailing.

Carlos had to slow down and thread his way along the marina road to get to the line of police cars with their lights going. Beyond them was the dock, cleared of everything except for one fairly large boat. Elanore got out and went with Carlos over to the Captain in charge.

"We got four perps on a yacht, now holding three hostages we know of. Due to the dark windows in the cabin, snipers are useless," the Captain explained. "Special Ops is on the way, but even after they get here, I don't know how we can approach them and not be seen."

Elanore studied the dock and said, "I can get on the boat. What do you want me to do once I am on?"

Carlos and the Captain looked at her. "We want to disable the men holding Mr. Greensburg and ensure the hostages stay safe," the captain said.

Elanore nodded and walked towards the water.

"Where are you going?" Carlos asked, keeping pace with her.

Walking down to the waterline just past the next dock, Elanore said, "I get into the water here where anyone from that boat cannot see me, walk over and climb the pylons, examine the situation, then disable the men one by one." she said and took her jacket off, handing it to Carlos.

The shirt she had on was white, and looked like it might be silk. Carlos could already see the shadows of her pink bra. She then took her shoes off and slid her skirt down, showing her black panties with a wiggle of her hips. "Why are you taking your clothes off!" he hissed.

"So I don't get them wet," Elanore explained. She handed him her skirt socks and shoes then got in the water and ducked down under. Her shadow went under the dock.

.

Greg Greensburg was a famous Hollywood film maker. He'd made multi-millions with his sci-fi action movies. Big screen special effects at their finest. Currently, he was tied to a chair as two masked men with shotguns sat nearby. They wanted the money he'd made just by demanding it. No work ethic at all.

Screw them.

Greg wasn't about to hand over a dime. He respected others who worked hard for what they had. Like Bruce Willis, he wasn't about to give anything to these monkeys! Even after they found his safe and tore the wall apart to get at it, he wasn't giving them the combination.

The leader, or who he took to be the leader, came back in, his eyes narrowed within his ski mask. "Last chance," he growled and raised his shotgun to Greg's face. "The combination, what is it!"

"Miss Hunt." Greg grumbled.

"WHAT?"

"Helen has it," Greg said a little louder.

"What shit you talkin? Helen WHO?"

Greg sneered at him and said, "You want it? Go to Hell'en HUNT for it!"

The leader reared back to hit him. A loud thump sounded. Everyone froze. "What was that?" the leader asked, searching for the source of the noise.

.

Elanore climbed up the pylon across the dock from the boat. In the deeply tinted widows, she adjusted her eyesight and found two rooms. In the upper room was a man tied up with two gunmen. In the lower room was two people in chairs with another gunman watching them. The lower room had a door that opened onto the forward deck. Climbing back down, she went over to the boat side and climbed up the pylon, then carefully and quietly climbed the rope holding the boat to the dock and onto the boat. Crawling on all fours across the deck, she got up and stood beside the door. Quickly, she swung the door open and stepped in.

"Hello," she said. The people in the chair snapped their heads to her The gunman spun to point his gun at her. She knocked the gun up and punched him hard.

He thumped to the floor, out cold.

Elanore picked the sawed off double barrel, broke it open and dumped the shells on the floor. Quickly, she ripped off the tape holding the man and woman in place and asked, "Mr. Greensburg?"

The man eyed her chest, swallowed and said, "He was taken upstairs."

She saw a spiral staircase going up. Quietly she said, "Step out the front, stay against the wall of the boat. I'll come get you in a minute. Hurry."

As the two ran out she walked quietly to the stairs. Hearing someone at the top, she squatted down and tucked herself under the steps. The footsteps came most of the way down and stopped.
Elanore shot up to see a man looking out the open door. She punched him, knocking him out. Grabbing him before he fell, she got him off the stairs and onto the floor.

"What's going on down there!" a voice demanded.

No one else was coming down. Elanore walked up slow, holding a hand in the air. In her meekest voice she said, "Don't shoot! I'm coming up like he said!"

"What! Show yourself!"

Elanore walked up, one hand raised up, the other on the railing. As she saw the floor level, she saw one man right by the man tied in the chair, the other across the room, his shotgun pointed at her. "Don't shoot, please?" she asked meekly.

"Who the fuck are you?" the man pointing his gun at the hostage asked in a growl.

"Elanore Tok. Please, put your guns down," she asked.

"Get your ass up here!" the man snapped.

The man tied up must be Greensburg. The man over him had his hand on the trigger, but she didn't have a clear view of his finger. She did have a good view of his elbow. The other man was no immediate threat to Mr. Greensburg. She took another step and raised her leg higher. Her holster just came in view, she took her hand from the rail, drew a pistol and shot the man over Greensburg in the elbow. She quickly swung and shot the other man in his knee. Both men screamed, then man by himself shot into the floor as he went down.

As the men screamed and held their wounds, Elanore walked over and tossed the lone man's shotgun away before he hurt himself on it.

.

Mr. Greensburg stared at the half naked, slim legged red-head that bore holsters strapped just above her knees. Her wet shirt clinging to her pink bra, those black panties, that confident strut. He'd found the next Space Pirate Princess Leighme!

A groan sounded below him. The man who'd been threatening him, and was holding his bleeding elbow, glared at the red head and grabbed for the shotgun that had fallen beside him.

"Hey, look out!" Greg yelled. He tried to kick at the man, but his legs were tied tight. The man grabbed the gun and lifted it as the redhead's back was turned.

BOOM!

Greg silently cried out his agony as the red head was shot. She was partially turned by the blast, her shirt high on her side blew out as did a red spray. She turned with the impact, but didn't fall. She kept turning, her gun hand coming up as she spun.

BANG

Upon facing them, she shot. The man below Greg screamed again as his other shoulder was blown apart. Greg opened his mouth to wail in agony that such a pretty girl was ... walking towards him? He blinked. He had to be seeing things. Her side was blasted open, shirt torn and bloodied, a strip of silver showed under her arm.

Elanore keyed her mike on the radio set between her breasts. "We're clear, three perps wounded, one out. Hostages alive and well." She then knelt down by Mr. Greenburg, who was gaping at her. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Me? You got a hole the size of a basketball in you, and your breast is hanging ... mostly free," he said weakly, noting her orb was hanging out of her shirt. Yes, this was the ultimate bad ass movie Goddess in front of him!

She looked down. The shot had wiped out her bra strap and part of the right cup, also taking the skin in a swath along her side and bareing some breast flesh. Metal showed through the furrow. She also noted her nip was showing. She tried to pull her shirt over it. Nope, not enough surviving material.

"I have the perfect movie for you, we'll make Robocop look like kindergarteners made it!" Mr. Greensburg said happily. "Everyone will want to come see you up on the silver screen!"

Elanore eyed him and tried to hide her nipple again. "I don't think people want to see my nipple,"she said, and freed his legs.

"OH, they sure will!" he said, beaming her a smile. "If not a futuristic cop movie, You'll be a great Pirate Queen, cruising the universe with your Amazon crew, taking down every Imperial ship you come across!"

Elanore got his arms free as feet stomped up the stairs. Police in body armor and helmets came up, pointing their guns. Elanore pointed to the downed men. "He's wounded elbow and shoulder, him, his left knee."

The Police saw to the wounded men, Elanore helped them get Mr. Greensburg up. They tried to move him out, but he resisted.

"Inari Ironside!" Greg called back to Elanore. "Yes! That will be your movie name! The Iron maiden, Fox of the Galaxy!"

"Sir, we have to go," one of the officers said, and towed him along.

"Sir, watch the steps," another officer coaxed.

They got Mr. Greensburg going down the stairs as he announced, "I can even see a battle between you and a giant mechanized android, big battle scene with clothes ripped off, and you prevail, one foot on it's sparking head as you hold up your plasma sword in victory!"

Elanore stood, arm crossed over her chest, cupping her breast to hide her nipple. Once Mr. Greensburg was on his way out, still going on about movie scenes, Officer Rodriguez came up the stairs with her clothes.

"Thank you, I really need those," Elanore said, and held out her other hand.

Greg stared at her side. "We need more medics!" he called down.

"I'm fine, I just need to cover up and something to wrap up with," Elanore told him.

Greg looked at her metal side. He helped her put her jacket on. Once she had that on and buttoned up, he gave her the skirt, then her shoes.

"That has to hurt," he said vacantly. "Shotgun?" he asked.

"Yes, I had disabled the suspect's elbow so he could not shoot with that hand, but he grabbed his gun with the other hand before I could stop him," Elanore explained.

"Most folks would be dead from a wound like that."

"I am not most folks."

Carlos wanted to say he was still taking her to the hospital, but he wasn't sure if they could even do anything for her. "Elanore, call your people. Someone has to look at that," he said and pointed to her side.

.

Carlos took Elanore to the Zeita building. She went in and came back fifteen minutes later with a new shirt on.

"All set," she said with a smile.

"And besides a new shirt, did you get anything else?" he asked.

"A bra too."

"What about that crater in your side?"

"It's covered," she assured him.

Carlos let out a huff. "With like a bandage, maybe?" he asked.

"A cloth wrap to hold the edges in while my skin regrows."

"You're not going to drip blood in my nice car, are you?"

"Not any more. The wound is sealed up." she assured him. "Where are we going now?"

"Back to the office. Remember that paperwork I was talking about? We have about three reams to do about your little adventure."

.

Arriving in the office at one, the paperwork was finally done at seven forty five. Carlos rechecked everything. Despite his concern, Elanore had good, detailed reports on everything from when they arrived at the scene to when they left. She had also added Mr. Greensburg's rantings, which were not needed, but he left them anyway.

Carlos timed turning in the reports so he could punch out at eight. No sense hurrying when you're on overtime.

Coming back from the Captain's office, Carlos decided to head out to a bar to get something to eat. He asked Elanore if she was hungry. To his surprise, she wanted to come.

The 'cop shop' he led her to was were most of the guys at the station hung out. It was a nice little neighborhood place, with decent food and karaoke on Friday nights. The place wasn't too busy when they went in. Carlos waved to some of his buddies and called for a menu. He and Elanore took a table, and were soon joined by a few others.

"Elanore, this is Pete, George, Casey and Hector. Guys, Elanore Tok." Carlos introduced, pointing at people as he said their names.

"Quite the raid you pulled today," Pete said to Elanore. "Dropped four guys with shotguns and walked out in one piece."

"That's not what I heard," Casey said. "I heard you caught one, but I guess not?"

"She got lucky," Carlos said quickly, and cast her a warning glance.

"Yes, I was lucky, It was only a flesh wound," Elanore agreed.

"Better be more careful," Hector said in a serious tone. "Luck runs out."

"Hey Carlos, they got haberneros in, wanna try a couple?" George asked with a grin.

Carlos waved a hand and said, "You go for it, bro. I like to taste something besides the burn."

"Awww come on," George coaxed. He glanced at Elanore. "Maybe Miss rookie here would like to try one."

Carlos shook his head. Elanore was curious what a habernero was. "I'll try one," she said.

Carlos was about to tell her she really didn't want to do that, then remembered, Elanore was a cyborg, she was a machine on the inside. She probably wouldn't even taste it. "Go ahead, see if you like it," he said.

A few suppressed giggles sounded.

The waitress came and took their orders, including a 'snack' plate of habernero peppers.

"Feeling brave tonight, I see," the waitress said with a smirk. "How about if I bring an order of our 'quencher' rolls?"

"What's a quencher roll?" Elanore asked.

"Rolls baked to help stop the burn of those peppers. I think you should have some handy," the waitress said seriously.

"Bring'em," Carlos said. "Maybe George here will match Elanore for each habernaro she eats?"

"Yeah, OK. I'm game," George announced.

Carlos grinned. This was going to be fun to watch. He had a hanbernero once. Jalapenos were spicy, he could take those. Habernero peppers were like flamethrowers in your mouth. They were so hot, they were dangerous to someone who'd never had them before. Since it was Elanore, he figured she wouldn't have much trouble with them. He wasn't worried about George, he did stupid things like this all the time.

Carlos ordered his enchilada, and after he explained what was in it, Elanore got one also.

They talked shop and sports and the food came. The waitress set the small plate of haberneros in the middle of the table and the quencher rolls right beside them. "Have fun," she sang.

"Be my guest," George said as he grinned at Elanore.

"You too, George," Hector said.

George gave Elanore one of the peppers and took one himself. While George took a bite on the end, Elanore popped the whole pepper in her mouth and crunched it down. All eyes were on her as she ate.

Elanore's face blanked briefly, she the grinned. "Wow, these are really good!" she said. "May I have another?"

George's eyes were watering as he grabbed a roll. "Have all you want," he said and coughed.

Elanore ate all five peppers left on the plate. By the look on her face, she was really enjoying them as faces dropped.

"You really like those?" Carlos asked.

Elanore nodded vigorously. "The taste is … really good, I'm going to tell Cameron about them. Maybe she will cook with them." She looked at the empty plate and frowned slightly. "It's a shame they are all gone."

"How you coming, George?" Pete asked, and elbowed him.

George still had half his pepper left, and had eaten all the rolls. "Man, Elanore must have an iron stomach," he said, and left the rest of his pepper beside his plate.

"Coltan," Elanore said, correcting him, and dug into her enchilada. Everyone laughed. Elanore didn't know why it was funny, but smiled brightly. Carlos had some nice friends.

"Hey, everyone, everything OK?" the waitress asked as she stopped by.

Elanore raised her hand and asked, "Miss, you you have more of those haberneros? They are really good!"

The waitress stared at her.

With a chuckle, Hector said,"She ate the whole plate of them."

"Ahh, that was all we had," the waitress said. "We only had those as leftovers."

"Anything else like them?" Elanore asked hopefully.

The waitress winced. "Well, we do have a few Carolina Reapers, but those are way hotter than even the Haberneros. They are the hottest pepper on the planet! Julio got them in for cooking, but if you want to try one..."

"OH, please?" Elanore asked.

The waitress let out a sigh. "If you really want."

Elanore nodded eagerly, "Yes, please!"

She received another round of astonished looks.

"I'm glad that won't be my toilet," Pete mumbled.

The waitress brought another small plate with three bright red, misshapen peppers on it, and another basket of quencher rolls. Looking seriously at Elanore, she said, "Be careful with these, please."

"Yes, thank you." Elanore said happily. She popped one in her mouth as the waitress stood and watched.

Elanore's face blanked again, then opened up in bliss. "Mmmm, these are AWESOME!" she cried and grabbed another. Her cheek, blushed in joy (or the fire inside of her, Carlos was thinking) as she crunched down all three. "I've never had anything this good before! You don't have any more, do you?"

"No, Ma'am," the waitress said, watching her.

"I have GOT to tell Mother about these! Oh, I bet Catherine will like them too, I don't know about John or Eddie, but Jake and Gregory will have to try one..."

Carlos leaned back as Elanore went on. It felt like he was getting hit in the face with pepper spray. In a way, that was what Elanore's breath was right now. He moved around to the end of the table to get out of the way.

"Hey, Officer Rodriguez," Elanore said in a smooth tone as she leaned towards him. "I feeling that warm and fuzzy thing you were talking about." She was smiling, and wavering a bit.

"Just don't breathe on me," he said. He paused and studied her face. "Are you drunk?"

"I just feel really good, and warm," she said with a sexy smile.

"Brain damage," Pete concluded.

"If she gets frisky, just don't kiss her," Casey said as he chuckled.

"Hey Carlos," Hector said. With a crooked grin he added, "Be afraid, be very afraid."

"Yeah, no shit," Carlos agreed. Hector didn't even know what Elanore was. He watched Elanore lick her lips with another satisfied hum. With her strength, if she decided to push herself on him, he was a dead man.

"So warm, I want to lie down," Elanore said with a dreamy face, and pulled her jacket apart. The buttons went flying. She reached for her shirt.

"Whoa, stop!" Carlos cried and grabbed her wrists. "Hey, maybe it's time I take you home?" he asked.

Elanore cast him a bright smile. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're going loco, let's get you home," Carlos told her.

Smirks and chuckles sounded around the table. Feeling wonderful, Elanore giggled with them as Carlos coaxed her up and pointed her towards the door. He got her out and in his car, then ran back in and threw some money on the table for the bill, then ran out.

Elanore didn't know why Carlos had left, so she got back out and took a few steps. Giggling at her mis- coordination she fell against the hood. Catching herself with a hand, she dented the hood. "Oops," she giggled. She didn't know why, but that was funny. Seeing Carlos come back out, she pointed to the dent. "See what I did? I didn't mean to, it just happened. You car doesn't have very good armor. I can probably punch right through it," she said and balled a fist.

"No!" Carlos cried and ran up to her. "Hey, you want to go to bed, right? Get in and I'll take you home, OK?" he asked pleading with her.

"OK," she agreed and let him steer her back in to sit down. "Warm and fuzzy," she said, then sang it. "I'm warm and fuzzy."

"Elanore, you live at that place you took me to on sixth street?" Carlos asked, not being in the same good mood as she was.

"No, No," Elanore sang with an exaggerated shake of her head. She gave him the address, Carlos drove her home.

In directing Carlos which way to go, Elanore laid back in the seat and pointed. Pointing out a right turn, she took the passenger side widow out, then giggled and played with the broken bits of glass stuck to her arm.

Calos was never so glad to put up into the driveway. In front of him was a heavy iron gate. Seeing a camera on the wall by the gate, he stopped beside it.

Elanore climbed from her side and half over him to stick her head out the window and wave. "Father, I'm home! Please let us in," she called.

Carlos found out Elanore was heavy. One on his arms was pinned down to his side, the other trapped against her side. "Move to your side," he grunted as he tried to move her and failed. In his attempt to lift her he did get a big handful of breast.

Elanore moved back over and cast him a sly grin. "You can play with those after we're inside," she said.

He turned his head to cough out the window. Dragon pepper breath. Yuck. "Let's just get you in," he said.

Driving around the semi circle driveway he saw the huge house. He also say a few people coming out. Through her broken window, Elanore waved to them. "Hello Grandmother Catherine, Mother, stepfather John!" she called, then pointed to them. "This is my family. Come meet them!"

Carlos stopped by the group in front of the door. Cameron opened the car door. Elanore went to get out and tripped. Catherine caught the giggling woman. They eyed Elanore's condition, then turned to look at Carlos as he got out.

"What did you do to her?" Cameron asked with a blank stare.

"She got shot in the side earlier today. She didn't start acting strange until she ate those peppers after work," Carlos explained.

Catherine threw Elanore over her shoulder and marched back into the house. Elanore lifted her head and asked, "Officer Rodriguez, aren't you coming?"

"He had to go home," Cameron told her, then turned back to Carlos and in a heavy tone, said,"Good night."

.

Catherine got Elanore in her bed and laid down. Cameron and John came in as Catherine removed the chip cover on her head and plugged in a diagnostic device.

"What is wrong with her?" John asked.

Catherine looked over the data. Tonelessly, she said, "Sensory overload. All the inhibitors on her emotional subroutines have been released, and her nanites have ceased to function."

"My lips are nummb," Elanore stated, then giggled.

"What can we do?" Cameron asked.

Catherine had Elanore go into standby and removed the probe and put the chip cover back in place. She stood up and said, "The problem appears to be with what she ate. The distilled nutrients are somehow poisonous. Her nanites delivered them to her cells while they were still functioning. The nanites, and the cells appear to be breaking down. Whatever she ingested is not helping to rebuild tissue, but is slowly destroying it."

"Elanore is going to loose her skin." Cameron stated.

"She is. There is nothing we can do," Catherine told her, and walked to the door.

"There must be something we can do," John complained.

Catherine stopped in the doorway and looked back to say, "Put plastic down under her bed. When she comes out of standby in six hours, clean up the mess, and have her take a shower to remove the rest of the contaminated flesh. I will see about making a bio tank so she can be re covered."